What is it in game music that you like so much and how could it be better?

Let me try my hand at the questions. I've never thought very hard about some of them in the past so now's a good a time as any.

1. If you had to describe what VGM is to someone ignorant on the subject, what would you say?
I'd say that VGM is a type of soundtrack music for games, like how film soundtracks are to movies. And that VGM has evolved tremendously over the years, thanks to advances in audio technology and how the way we play games today can differ greatly from how we played them in the past.

2. Why do you listen to game music on a stand-alone basis? What elements do you like or dislike from it?
I have two major motivations. The first being to recall a memorable game experience. I usually feel a strong sense of nostalgia when listening VGM from games I've played before, especially if they are particularly old (and I can still remember the tune :P). It's also incredibly relaxing and helps take my mind off things. My second motivation: I think VGM in general is more interesting refreshing, and diverse than most mainstream music. A single game can often have a soundtrack that boasts a myriad of styles and genres, which I can't always find in a pop music album. VGM also tends to be somewhat more creative and complex than pop music.

3. Do you listen to music from games you haven't played?
Yes, I do. Especially tracks that I perceive to be battle-type tracks (I'm quite a big fan of battle music!). I find that listening to VGM from games I haven't played often has the effect of enhancing my gameplay experience should I decide to play the game subsequently. In addition, it's quite refreshing to listen to VGM from certain game genres I would normally not touch, like racing or sports games.

4. What percentage does VGM represent on your playlist vs. non-game music? If applicable, what kind of music do you listen to outside of VGM? If you don't listen to mainstream music (i.e. not VGM, film, or anime soundtracks), why is that so?
VGM easily fills up 80-90% of my playlist(s) these days. I've become very, very selective on the types of non-VGM music I listen. Typically this would include some choral music, film and anime soundtracks (more of the latter), a bit of Mandarin pop, some New Age/World music, and a few evergreen albums every now and then. I used to listen to more Mandarin pop on the radio but after I while, I got a bit tired of the more mainstream Mandarin pop.

5. How do you feel about music that was not published as an official album? How much of a problem is it to you if you want to listen to it? Also, do you actually buy official albums or strictly download them illegally (or a mix of both)? Do you think these albums are adequately priced?
If the first question is in relation to game rips, I actually quite enjoy them. They usually represent a more complete aural experience of a game than a soundtrack with "missing tracks". And sometimes, certain incidental things like sound effects can be nice to hear in a game rip where it might have been absent in an official release. In addition, game rips always have that added layer of the ripper's passion and dedication which I can appreciate. It can be quite a task to do a proper game rip. Further more, game rips usually loop tracks when the OST doesn't!

Is prohibitively expensive to buy VGM soundtracks where I come from; if you can even find them at all. Of late, some stores have been carrying some very affordable soundtracks and I've found myself buying the ones that I like a lot. Importing is insanely expensive and/or too much of a hassle. I prefer to be able to just walk into a music store and buy a VGM soundtrack.

6. Which genres/styles do you mainly listen to? Which do you avoid?
I typically enjoy ambient/minimalist, choral, folk, New Age, electronic, lounge/mood and alternative pop music. Some styles that I have a weakness for include the whimsical, epic/grandiose, melancholic, uplifting/cheery and pastoral. I used to avoid rock but have grown to like it to some extent thanks to the BSC. :P I avoid heavy metal and bad techno, especially the type that's nothing but thumping beats that repeat forever with no development whatsoever.

I also really like VGM styled in the SNES era. Most of the VGM from that period is particularly charming to me and I can't quite say why exactly and what genre of music they belong to except that it's... 16-bit SNES VGM. :P

7. If one of these genres also exists in non-game music, do you also listen to it from that category? If not, why?
I do, but not as much as I would if it had been from a game. I guess it boils down to my motivations for listening to VGM.

8. Video gaming had a reputation for a long time of being a childish or geeky hobby, and a part of it persists today. Inevitably, to a certain extent, the music also fell under this denigrative categorization (especially retro chiptunes). Do you think VGM is as valid as any other music from a listener's point of view? Additionally, are you fully comfortable about mentioning you listen to VGM when you discuss with someone who isn't into gaming?
I think VGM is like any other type music, and the lines between mainstream music and VGM have been blurring in some cases. Most would think otherwise because it's music "from a silly game" (but most of us here would beg to differ for various reasons). Admittedly, I'm not entirely comfortable telling most people directly that I listen to VGM because over here, it's still considered silly music that gets written off. But I do see that perception improving especially with mainstream music winding its way into games and games themselves becoming more accessible to the masses (just look at the NDS and PSP!).

9. How would you compare game music from the past (aka chiptunes, up to the SNES era) and modern material?
This isn't an easy question! I honestly can't say if chiptunes or modern VGM is better. Both have their pros and cons. Chiptunes tend to have more memorable, catchy melodies with infectious beats but there are times you do wish a better quality synth was available to bring out the full flavour of the composition. For modern VGM, sometimes it can be so obsessed with instrumentation that the quality of the composition suffers. However, modern VGM has also seen more complex and interesting arrangements that chiptunes would find hard to replicate (with the exception of perhaps certain Western composers). What I find really interesting is modern chiptunes. These can be fun affairs.

10. During its infancy, VGM was unique in part because of its electronic sound coming from limited sound chips. Today, any kind of instruments can be used and thus this uniqueness doesn't always persist. Do you believe VGM should sound different from other music categories? If so, how could this be achieved nowadays?
I don't think VGM needs to sound different from other music genres from an aural standpoint. Why should it?

11. Most gamers don't particularly care about game music (or at least, to the extent we do). Thus, it's most probably not part of their playlists. Some producers believe that players would prefer to hear their favorite mainstream songs while playing rather than original music, hence the use of licensed material. What is your opinion about this?
I do believe a lot of gamers like to swap out the in-game music for mainstream music (because the game music was boring etc.) but I think this detracts from the game experience because the mainstream music might not match what is intended by the in0game music in enhancing the gamer's experience. I cannot imagine listening to an upbeat track from The Corrs whilst playing Fatal Frame, for instance. I think you lose something from the game as a result. If the licensed music is appropriate for the game context, I think it's still ok. But I do prefer more innovation and creativity in my VGM.

12. Other producers, which aren't as radical, may still hire a composer, yet ask him/her to create something that sounds extremely close to popular music. This does not make highly unique VGM, yet it can still be very enjoyable and is a creative process. Do you see a problem in this?
I think this is ok as long as the music actually fits with what the game is trying to achieve. And if it makes for a nice listen, I have no issues. One example is the Sims tracks that was nominated for Song of the Week (pop station/music or some such). It's like something from The Corrs (minus the vocals) and sounds terrific. I will have something against the music if it becomes formulaic like most pop music these days.

13. A popular trend these days (notably in the West) is to make games that are very cinematic in nature, mimicking Hollywood down to the use of (usually) orchestral cinematic music. How do you feel about this? Since these two media are converging when it comes to telling a story on screen, should games (and their music) be any different from films? If so, how?
I don't have an issue with this as long as it makes sense to the game and it enhances the gameplay experience. Of course, this might make it more difficult to appreciate the music outside of the game if the music becomes too highly customised to the in-game events as in the case of cut-scene music for games.

14. Certain producers and composers believe that the perfect music should not be noticeable unless it's not there. Another way to formulate this would be to say that the music shouldn't be in the forefront to avoid distracting the player. In practice, this often results in the use of an adaptative music system, playing an ambient (see "usually unmelodic") track when nothing special is going on and then loading a more dynamic cue when action kicks in. When listened to on a stand alone basis, these soundtracks often make an inconsistent experience (unless for huge ambient fans). What do you think about this?
Well, I'm quite a fan of ambient music, so no problems for me. :P I think such adaptive music is very interesting and might not be that inconsistent if the transtition is done well. I've also heard of adaptive music where a melodic field theme transits into a more upbeat battle music when a battle starts, becoming milder and quiter after the battle (e.g. the .hack games). I think such adaptive music makes for a more seamless game experience and can be interesting listens outside of a game if done well (to me at least).

That said, I do not agree that the best music has to always be unnoticeable. It really depends on the nature of the game and the context. VGM with distinct melodies can make for great listens, sometimes heightening the experience. And there will be times when a more ambient score will make more sense.

15. VGM is inevitably linked to the games it comes from. In fact, it's created to suit them in the first place! Is there any soundtrack which you regard very lowly from a listener point of view, but that you found worked well in-game? If possible, how could it have been more enjoyable to listen to while still working as well in-game?
I don't think much of Chrono Trigger soundtrack except for some tracks but it works nicely in-game. Somehow, the music makes more sense when you take into consideration the game world/setting, characters and overall presentation of the game.

16. Do you think there is too much music sounding the same? If so, could this be because there are too many similar games? If the games weren't to change, how could the music become different without sounding out of place?
I think this tends to be true to some extent if it's VGM from the same composer. So I would suggest to have a few composers work on a single game or alternate between a composers. I may like Jeremy Soule but l can imagine that even I would get a bit restless if every other PC game I play is composed by him.

I also find that certain game genres tend to keep sticking to particular styles (e.g. racing games) but I don't think it needs to be as long as it is still coherent in the game's context.

17. Do you notice any difference between VGM created in Japan, America and Europe? If so, what does one do better or worse than the others, and vice versa?
I think all three can be quite distinct and there are always exceptions to the generalisations I'm making. My impression is that Japanese VGM uses a lot of synth and tends to be more varied in style, while American VGM has a tendency towards the orchestral or ambient/minimalistic and can sometimes come across as being a bit less innovative (almost formulaic). To me at least, European VGM tends to be more electronic in nature (probably with an emphasis on mood/atmosphere), or have European folk influences/sensibilities. It's also less "formulaic" than American VGM, I think.

18. VGM is a lot more popular in Japan than it is in the West, with album releases being a good indicator. How could things get better in the West on that matter?
Perhaps more game music concerts? And game events that tie in with game music gigs? Have local distributors of game music? Have game music awardsn that don't just focus on Western music?

19. If you had to sum up in three words what you expect from VGM, which would you choose?
Diverse, refreshing, charm.

Jam it back in, in the dark.